How to Save Windows Spotlight Images in Windows 11 and 10

Windows Spotlight shows a different image on your Windows 11 desktop or lock screen every day. Sometimes you may see a picture you really like and want to keep it, but Windows doesn’t make it obvious where that image is stored. The Spotlight pictures are saved on your PC, although they aren’t stored as normal JPG or PNG files. You can find them in a hidden Windows folder, copy the files to another location, and convert them into regular image files. Here’s how to find and save Windows Spotlight images in Windows 11.

Find Where Windows Spotlight Images Are Stored

Windows keeps Spotlight images in a hidden folder inside your user profile. The files don’t have normal image extensions, so you won’t immediately see them as pictures.

To open the folder:

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog.
2. Copy and paste this path:

%LocalAppData%\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalState\Assets

3. Press Enter.

You’ll see a folder containing many files with long, random-looking names and no file extension. These are cached Spotlight files. Some may be images, while others may be smaller files that Windows uses for Spotlight.

The easiest approach is to copy the files to another folder before working with them. This leaves the original Spotlight cache untouched.

Copy the Spotlight Images to a New Folder

Before renaming or opening the Spotlight files, copy them somewhere else. This prevents you from accidentally changing files that Windows is using for Spotlight.

1. Create a new folder somewhere easy to find, such as Pictures > Spotlight Images.
2. Open the Assets folder from the previous step.
3. Press Ctrl + A to select all the files.
4. Press Ctrl + C.
5. Open your new Spotlight Images folder and press Ctrl + V.

You now have a separate copy of the Spotlight cache that you can work with.

Don’t worry if Windows shows files with different sizes. The folder can contain more than just wallpaper images, so the next step is to identify the actual pictures.

Note: The same Assets folder can also contain Windows Spotlight images used on the lock screen. If you’re looking for a lock-screen picture, use the same process above to copy and identify the image.

Add the JPG Extension to Spotlight Files

The copied Spotlight files don’t normally have a .jpg extension, even though many of them are image files. You can add the extension to identify the pictures.

Before doing this, make sure you’re working with the copied files, not the original Assets folder.

1. Open your Spotlight Images folder.
2. Right-click an empty area and select Open in Terminal.
3. Enter this command:

Get-ChildItem | Rename-Item -NewName { $_.Name + ".jpg" }

4. Press Enter.

Windows will add .jpg to the end of each copied file. You can now open the files with the Photos app and see which ones are actual Spotlight images.

Some files may still fail to open because the cache contains files that aren’t pictures. You can simply delete those files and keep the images you want.

Tip: Spotlight can store both portrait and landscape images. If you’re looking for desktop wallpapers, keep the larger landscape images and remove the smaller files.

Find the Spotlight Image You Want to Keep

Once the files have the .jpg Extension, open the folder and check the images. You may find several Spotlight pictures along with files that aren’t useful images.

To make this easier, switch File Explorer to View > Large icons or Extra large icons. This lets you see the pictures without opening each file.

Look for the image you recognize from your Windows desktop or lock screen. When you find it, you can rename it to something meaningful, such as:

Mountain-Lake-Wallpaper.jpg

You can also move your favorite images to another permanent folder, such as Pictures > Windows Spotlight.

Keep in mind that the Spotlight cache can change over time. Windows may remove older images as new Spotlight pictures are downloaded, so move any images you want to keep out of the cache folder.

Set a Saved Spotlight Image as Your Wallpaper

After saving a Spotlight picture, you can use it like any other wallpaper in Windows 11.

1. Right-click the image you saved.
2. Select Set as desktop background.

Windows will immediately use that picture as your desktop wallpaper.

You can also save several Spotlight images in a separate folder and create a slideshow:

1. Right-click the desktop and select Personalize.
2. Select Background.
3. Choose Slideshow from the background options.
4. Select the folder containing your saved Spotlight images.

Windows will then rotate through the pictures in that folder instead of relying on Spotlight.

If you only want to keep one particular Spotlight picture, simply save it to your Pictures folder. Once it’s copied there, it won’t disappear when Windows refreshes the Spotlight cache.

What If the Spotlight Folder Is Empty?

If you open the Assets folder and don’t find any useful images, don’t assume Spotlight isn’t working. Windows may not have downloaded new Spotlight images yet, or the cached files may have been cleared.

First, make sure Windows Spotlight is actually enabled:

1. Right-click the desktop and select Personalize.
2. Select Background.
3. Under Personalize your background, choose Windows Spotlight.
4. Leave Spotlight enabled for a while so Windows can download new images.

If you’re trying to find lock-screen images, go to Settings > Personalization > Lock screen, then select Windows Spotlight.

After Spotlight has displayed some new images, check the Assets folder again. You may need to give Windows some time to download the files before they appear.

If the folder still doesn’t contain usable images, resetting Windows Spotlight may be necessary. However, don’t delete the cache folder just to find a particular picture, as it may remove images currently in the cache.

Frequently Asked Questions